Process
How a book gets made.
Four steps, the same for a first book and a publisher’s series. Here is what happens in each, and what you have at the end of it.
Before step 1
How it starts
- 1
We read your message and reply, usually with a few questions.
- 2
We send a tailored quote and timeline.
- 3
Once you are happy, we start with cover concepts or sample pages.
Step 1
Brief
We read the manuscript and agree the scope, the schedule and the printer’s specs with you.
We start by reviewing your manuscript, trim size and imprint guidelines. We develop the first cover directions and sample interior pages, so the typographic grid and the cover fit your goals before full production begins.
What you get
- Scope and schedule
- Printer’s specs
- Cast-off and estimates
- Typographic concepts
Step 2
Design
Cover concepts first, then the interior set to a grid: headings, notes, Arabic and transliteration done properly.
With the concepts approved, we flow the full text into InDesign with robust paragraph and character styles. We manage baseline alignment, widows and orphans in the interior, and build the full cover, with the spine width calculated for your paper stock.
What you get
- Cover concepts and revisions
- Master pages and grids
- Style automation
- Arabic and transliteration
Choose a number to see that part.
- 1 The blurb
The back-cover copy, set to read in ten seconds.
- 2 The author
A short biography, with a photograph where there is one.
- 3 Barcode and publisher
ISBN barcode, price and the publisher’s marks, placed to the printer’s rules.
- 4 The spine
Title and author sized to the spine width, worked out from the page count and the paper.
- 5 The image
One picture that carries the book’s idea.
- 6 The title
Lettering that still reads at thumbnail size in an online shop.
- 7 The author’s name
Set to sit with the title, not compete with it.
Step 3
Print-ready files checked against the printer’s specs, and an ebook that reads well on every device.
After your editorial review, we run a full prepress check on the interior and the cover. You receive organised InDesign packages and print-ready PDFs built to your printer’s specification, with CMYK profiles, bleed and spot finishes set up.
What you get
- Print-ready PDFs
- Preflight
- InDesign packages
- EPUB
Add-on
Launch
Mockups, Reels and posts, so the book arrives with a launch.
While the book is on press, we prepare its launch: photoreal 3D mockups, video Reels and a page for the title, so pre-orders and every sales channel look consistent.
What you get
- Mockups and social ads
- Reels
- Landing pages